University of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez went on the offensive Thursday afternoon in a 15 minute conference call with local reporters, defending his departure from West Virginia and essentially appealing for an end to hostilities with his former school.

Among the highlights:

--- Rodriguez admitted shredding documents and making calls to Michigan recruits on his West Virginia cell phone, but said the papers involved were all personal and he made no calls before resigning to take the Michigan job.

--- Rodriguez would not address his buyout or say whether he believed he was obligated to pay it.

"People say you shouldn't have left Virginia in the manner you did, and I can understand that," Rodriguez said. "I know there's feelings hurt. I've said that before. I told that to the team. I'm sorry about how it worked out. I changed jobs. This is America. Sometimes you change jobs, and I would hope at some point when emotions cool down, you can see the good things."